Gardening, or, Doing What Makes You Happy

Yesterday, I spent a few hours out on the patio around the old, drained pool that accompanies my house. Slowly, and in as cost-effective a way as possible (read: free), we’re filling the pool to make it into a garden bed. Until then, though, we’re managing a bunch of containers, and yesterday was the first real chance I got to get out there and deal with them. I pulled countless cosmos, morning glory, and maple seedlings, as well as other unnamed weeds. I stirred up and amended the soil with compost from the past year. I swept the concrete patio and threw everything into the empty pool. And I planted lettuce, peas, cucumbers, carrots, and beans.

It only took a moment of pulling weeds and putting my hands in the rich soil to be reminded of how much I love doing this, how fulfilling I find growing things, eating things I’ve grown, and just playing in the dirt. It grounds me, works my body, focuses my mind and nourishes my spirit – similar to rock climbing, really. I’ve written elsewhere about akrasia, or the tendency to do things that don’t serve you, and avoid things that do, even though you know what’s going to make you feel good. I’m not sure why it took so long for me to get out into the garden, in spite of all the good weather we’ve had: somehow, other things always seemed more important.

In any case, I got out there, I did some work, I got some sun, and I felt really good. What have you done in the past few days that makes your body and spirit thank you for it?